Snare-strainer and muffler for drums.



W. P. MoINTOSH. SNARE STRAINER AND MUFFLER FOR DRUMS.

APPLICATION FILED 0016, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

UNETEE STATES WILLIAM F. MQINTOSH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SNARE-STBAINER AND EIUFFLER FOR DRUILVZS.

Application filed October 6, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VJILLIAM Moln- Tosn, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful improvement in Snare-Strainers andMufflers for Drums, of which the following is a specification.

It is frequently necessary, especially when drums make a part of anorchestra or band, to loosen or release the snares in order to stop andprevent vibration and produce the tom-tom efiect, and to tighten theminto their normal strained position again.

he object of this invention is to provide a snare-strainer and mufilerin which the snares can be loosened or tightened instantaneously,between two notes, or at givn point or signal, thereby inalr'ng a quickchange without adiustment at the time or either of the changes; and theinvention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts,fully described below, and illustrated in the accompanying dram.- ings,in which- Figure l is a view of the under side of a drum with my deviceappl'ed thereto and in its normal position, that is, with the snarestaut. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device in its normal position, aportion only oi the drum being illustrated. 3 is a section taken on line33, Fin. 2, the upper portion 01" the plate 1* being shown in elevationor edge view, but the lower portion being shown in section on said 1 ie3 33, in order to illustrate its connection with the hook s. Fig. i is asection taken on line S 3, Fig. 2, the plate r being showinwholly inelevation or edge view. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through thepivot j, looking toward the right.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Reference letter (t represents the shell of an ordinary drum, 1) thestraining-hoop, c the lining-hoop, d the flesh-hoop, and c the headallthe parts referred to being at the lower portion or the drum.

f represents the snares, usually constructed of wire or catgut.

All the above parts are constructed substantially as usual.

In my attachment, 9 represents a plate secured at i to thestraining-hoop near its lower end. The plate is provided near its loweredge with ears h l oetween which there Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1309.

Serial No. 456,478.

is pivotally secured at j the horizontal foot 7c of an upwardlyextending T-shaped arm I whose upper end at constitutes the lowerportion or member of aclamp the upper portion or member 17, of which issecured tightly at 0 against the end portions of the snares f, holdingthem firmly. A vertical spring p is secured at one end at q to the outerface of the plate g, and its lower end bears against the end of the footis. A thin bar f is held in swinging engagement with the inner face ofthe arm Z by means of the downturned hook s, and an adjusting screw 15extend through the arm Z against said bar 1'. A wire a is pivotally heldin eyes 0, the i ral part w of the horizontal portion l thereof beingformed up into cam-shape, and said cai 1-wire is provided with a handleto.

l fi'hen the parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 2 and 3,the handle .t is in an approximately vertical position, and the camportion to of the cam-wire a is extended and bears against the bar r,forcing said bar outward and, of course, swinging the arm Z outward intoan approximately vertical position, and thus stretching the snares tautacross and close to the drum-head esaid snares extending from betweenthe clamp members in and n through a passage y in the straining-hoop b.New il' it is desired to suddenly loosen the snares so that the tomtomciiect will be produced, the handle a: is swung quielriy down and thecam portion to oi the wire it is tned down, thus enabling the spring 32which bears against the feet to quickly swing said foot outward and, ofcourse, the i m inward into the position indicated in i g. 4:. A quicking of the handle as swings the cam outward and upward past the centerinto the position illustrated in 1, 2 and 3 and the snares are againstrained taut against the drumhead. 'i he screw t is purely an adjustingscrew, and it in connection with the thin bar 9" regulates the length ofthe throw of the arm Z. By means of the hooleconnection s which extendsthrough a suitable hole in the bar r, danger of breakage thereof, whichis apt to occur if the bar is igidly connected with the arm Z, isobviated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Extent, is:

1. in a snare-strainer and muffler for drums, a plate adapted to besecured to the l drum, an arm or lever pivotally connected near itslower end to said plate, a spring intermediate of the plate and arm orlever and bearing against the latter below its pivotal connection withthe plate, a snare-clamp supported by said plate above said pivotalconnection, a cam supported above said pivotal connection between saidplate and arm or lever, and means for swinging said cam into and out ofengagement with the arm or lever and thus straining and loosening thesnares, for the purpose set forth. I

2. In a snare-strainer and mufier for drums, a plate adapted to besecured to the drum, an arm or lever pivotally connected near its lowerend to said plate, a spring intermediate of the plate and arm or leverand bearing against the latter below its pivotal connection with theplate, a snare-clamp supported by said plate above said pivotalconnection, a cam supported between said 20 plate and arm or lever, athin bar loosely connected at its lower end to the inner surface of thearm or lever and extending up said surface in the path of rotation ofthe cam, an adjusting screw extending through 2

